World Standards Day: Leveraging Standards to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals

World Standards Day, celebrated every year on October 14th, serves as a reminder of the vital role that standards play in our daily lives. These often-overlooked guidelines are the unsung heroes behind the products we use, the services we enjoy, and the systems that keep our world running smoothly.

What are Standards?

Standards are documented guidelines that define consistent criteria, processes, and specifications for various products, services, and systems. They play a crucial role in ensuring quality, safety, interoperability, and reliability, making them essential for industries, businesses, and consumers.

World Standards Day has its roots in commemorating the founding of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Organizations that have been instrumental in shaping the landscape of international standards.

ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 169 national standards bodies. To this day it has published more than 24,000 standards, covering a wide range of sectors. 

Apart from their immediate applications, standards also have a crucial role in addressing some of the most pressing global issues, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These objectives encompass a wide range of challenges, from eradicating poverty and hunger to combating climate change and promoting gender equality. 

The world has pledged to reach the SDGs by the year 2030, acknowledging the urgency of addressing these challenges. Achieving these goals requires coordinated efforts involving governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals across the globe.

As stated by the UN, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are:

• Goal 1: No Poverty – end poverty in all its forms everywhere.
• Goal 2: Zero Hunger – end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
• Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being – ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages.
• Goal 4: Quality Education – ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
• Goal 5: Gender Equality – achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
• Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
• Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.
• Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities – reduce inequality within and among countries.
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
• Goal 13: Climate Action – take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• Goal 14: Life Below Water – conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
• Goal 15: Life on Land – protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
• Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals – strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

How Can Standards Help to Achieve the SDGs?

Standards establish a shared structure that organizations and industries can adhere to, guaranteeing consistency, quality, and safety in products and services. This consistency is essential for addressing global challenges and building trust among those involved.

Standards support sustainable development goals across three key pillars:

1. Economic Prosperity

Standards play a crucial role in nurturing economic growth and innovation. They facilitate fair competition, ensure product quality and safety, and streamline international trade. For instance, manufacturing and trade standards enable businesses to access global markets, driving economic prosperity and reducing poverty.

2. Social Inclusion

Standards also contribute to social inclusion by promoting accessibility, inclusivity, and equality. They help create safe and healthy environments, enhance access to education, and ensure decent work and economic opportunities for all. Moreover, they can also support the empowerment of women and address inequality by promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

3. Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability is a critical component of the SDGs. Standards guide industries and organizations toward sustainable practices, reducing their environmental impact and promoting responsible consumption and production. Standards also facilitate the development and adoption of renewable energy technologies, contributing to clean energy and climate action.

Challenges and Opportunities

Implementing standards for sustainable development can face a myriad of challenges, spanning from issues related to awareness and adoption to the intricate web of compliance hurdles. Tackling and overcoming these barriers necessitates not only individual commitment but also harmonized efforts on a broader scale.

In this endeavor, collaboration emerges as the cornerstone of success. A seamless partnership between governments, industries, standard-setting bodies, and the active engagement of civil society becomes not just important but imperative in effectively harnessing the power of standards to drive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Moreover, in our ever-evolving world, where technological advancements and innovation continue to reshape the landscape, the role of standards can be further elevated. These dynamic changes enable standards to become not only adaptable but also exquisitely responsive to the constantly evolving global challenges that confront us.

A Shared Vision for a Better World

The main objective of World Standards Day is to raise awareness about the importance of standards and the role they play in our lives. Furthermore, it also highlights discussions on how standards can contribute in tackling complex global issues, such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and more.

In a world facing complex and interconnected challenges, standards emerge as an invaluable tool for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. World Standards Day serves as a constant reminder that these guidelines possess the power to shape a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future for all. It calls on individuals, businesses, and governments to acknowledge the potential of standards and work together to harness their transformative power for the welfare of humanity and the planet.

As a certification body, PECB contributes to the worldwide endeavor to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by offering valuable education, certification, and certificate programs in accordance with internationally recognized standards.

About the Author

Ali Kadrija is the SEO Specialist at PECB. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact him at: web.marketing@pecb.com.